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King Salmon - Birds / Waterfowl
The Naknek River is usually frozen until early or mid March. Once the ice on Naknek River breaks, waterfowl numbers begin to increase and usually peak in late April and early May. The Alaska Penninsula is an important staging area for migratory birds. In early spring, waterfowl descend on Naknek River for several weeks as they wait for ice to thaw on the area's ponds and lakes. You have the chance to watch dozens of species of ducks, geese, and swans on the Naknek River cam. Tundra swans, white-fronted geese, and ducks like pintails, mallards, common goldeneyes, and common mergansers are especially conspicuous and abundant. Waterfowl are most abundant from April to early May. During low tide, watch for dabbling waterfowl / migratory birds to be feeding in the shallow areas adjacent to the riverbanks and on the exposed mudflats. . 'Waterfowl commonly seen in King Salmon include:' American Widgeon: more information here Bald Eagle: more information here Black-billed Magpie: more information here Bonaparte's Gull: Bonapartes gulls are seen in King Salmon, but the cameras aren't usually focused enough on the gulls to differentiate between species. Glaucous-winged gulls are by far the most common gulls seen in King Salmon, followed by mew gulls and then Bonaparte's gulls. more information here Canada Goose: A few Canada geese use the King Salmon area, but not many. more information here Common Goldeneye: These ducks can often be observed diving on the cam and use the deeper stretches of the river. They feed on the aquatic invertebrates on the river bottom. Ranger Mike has poked around on the mudflats and has seen an abundance of snails which he suspects the common goldeneye ducks feed on. They are probably the most abundant species of duck to use the Naknek River in early to mid March. more information here Common Merganser: This duck is probably the second most abundant species of duck to use the Naknek River in early to mid March. more information here Common Raven: more information here Common Redpoll: A resident songbird. more information here Fox Sparrow: Waterfowl will begin to disperse to more lakes and ponds in the region thaw as it opens more habitat for them. As the waterforwl disperse other migrants begin to arrive in King Salmon, like the songbird the fox sparrow. more information here Glaucous-winged Gull: more information here Greater Scaup: These diving ducks use the deeper stretches of the river. more information here Greater White-fronted Goose: The most common species of goose observed on the Naknek River in King Salmon. These geese often feed near swans in the Naknek River. The swan's necks are much longer than the geese's so they can reach deeper into the water. The swans also stir up the muck with their feet and are not able to eat all that they kick up. The geese stay nearby and look to pick up food that the swans stir up into the water. more information here Greater Yellowlegs: one of the more vocal birds in the area. more information here Green-winged Teal: more information here Mallard: more information here Mew Gull: Mew gulls are seen in King Salmon, but the cameras aren't usually focused enough on the gulls to differentiate between species. Glaucous-winged gulls are by far the most common gulls, followed by mew gulls, and then Bonaparte's gulls. more information here Northern Pintail: more information here Sandhill Crane: can sometimes be seen on the riverbank. more information here Short-billed Dowitcher: more information here Swans': '''When you do start to see swans on the Naknek River, the vast majority (99%) will probably be tundra swans, but Bewick's Swans and Whooper Swans have also been observed in King Salmon. When the tide starts rising fast the swans typically fly upriver to rest and feed in places outside of the tide's influence, or at least where the tide's influence is less. *Bewick's Swan: an Asian species of the Tundra Swan *Trumpeter Swan: Ranger Mike says to him trumpeter swans sound like a horn when they call. more information here *Tundra Swan: Their diet is mostly plant matter, but they will also consume invertebrates that they catch while foraging. These swans will use their feet and bills to dig in the mud on the river bottom to uncover the roots and rhizomes of aquatic vegetation. The tundra swans along the Naknek River will begin to disperse as the ponds and lakes in the area begin to thaw. Ranger Mike describes the call of the tundra swan to be much more oboe-like . more information here *Whooper Swan: a different species of swan from Europe and Asia. They are basically the Eurasian equivalent of trumpeter swans. Varied Thrush: A songbird that migrates to King Salmon after waterfowl have started to disperse to other lakes and ponds during the region thaw. more information here '''You can also download a complete list of ' [http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/birdlist_2010.pdf birds documented on the northern Alaska Peninsula]' ' Explore.org Cam Viewer Captures of the Birds & Waterfowl in King Salmon: 2014.04.18 09.59 GREAT WHITE FRONTED GEESE.JPG|Great White-fronted Geese 2014.04.18 10.01 GREAT WHITE FRONTED GEESE.JPG|Great White-fronted Geese 2014.04.22 MOCHA.JPG|Short-billed Dowitcher - Mocha's capture 2014.04.23 08.32 AM.JPG 2014.04.23 TUNDRA SWAN MOCHA 01.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.04.23 TUNDRA SWAN MOCHA 02.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.04.23 TUNDRA SWAN MOCHA 03.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.04.29 TUNDRA SWAN ROSE 01.JPG|Tundra Swans - Rose's capture 2014.05. TUNDRA SWANS MOCHA.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.05. TUNDRA SWANS MOCHA 02.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.05. TUNDRA SWANS MOCHA 03.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.05. TUNDRA SWANS MOCHA 04.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.05. TUNDRA SWANS MOCHA 05.JPG|Tundra Swans - Mocha's capture 2014.05.03 RAVEN MOCHA 01.JPG|Common Raven - Mocha's capture 2014.05.03 RAVEN MOCHA 02.JPG|Common Raven - Mocha's capture 2014.05.03 RAVEN MOCHA 03.JPG|Common Raven - Mocha's capture 2014.05.03 RAVEN MOCHA 04.JPG|Common Raven - Mocha's capture 2014.05.04 06.22 EAGLE RIVERBANK.JPG|Bald Eagle on the riverbank 2014.05.04 RAVEN ANNA-MARIE.jpg|Common Raven - Anna-Marie's capture 2014.05.05 07.43 AM SWANS.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.05 07.46 AM SWANS.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.07 07.12 AM SWANS IN FLIGHT.JPG|Tundra Swans in flight 2014.05.08 06.53 PM SWANS.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.08 06.54 PM SWANS.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.09 07.55 TUNDRA SWAN 01.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.09 07.55 TUNDRA SWAN 02.JPG|Tundra Swans 2014.05.13 EAGLE IN FLIGHT MOCHA.JPG|Bald Eagle in flight - Mocha's capture 2014.05.14 08.09 PM CRANES.JPG|Sandhill Cranes 2014.05.14 08.13 PM CRANES.JPG|Sandhill Cranes 2014.05.14 CRANES MOCHA.JPG|Sandhill Cranes - Mocha's capture 2014.05.15 10.18 GULLS IN FLIGHT.JPG|Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight 2014.05.16 GULLS IN FLIGHT MOCHA.JPG|Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight - Mocha's capture 2015.03.07 15.51 KS RAVEN MOCHA.JPG|Common Raven - Mocha's capture 2014.04.19 08.53 AM MAGPIE.JPG|Black-billed Magpie 2015.03.19 KS COMMON GOLDENEYE DUCK CLOUDs.JPG|Common Goldeneye Duck - Cloud's capture 2015.03.31 KS GULLS MARIE VELEZs.jpg|Gulls - Marie Velez's capture 03.31.2015 2015.03.31 KS GULLS GRANDMAJs.jpg|Gulls - Grandmaj's capture 03.31.2015 2015.03.31 08.56 KS GULLS LTC.JPG|Gulls 2015.03.31 KS GULLS JUERGENs.jpg|Gulls - Juergen's capture 03.31.2015 2015.04.04 KS GULLS & EAGLE ANNA-MARIE.jpg|Eagle & Gulls - Anna-Marie's capture 04.04.2015 2015.04.04 18.54 KS GULL IN FLIGHT.JPG|Gull in flight 04.04.2015 2015.04.04 18.54 KS GULLCLOUDs.JPG|Gull in flight - Cloud's capture 04.04.2015 2015.04.04 CLOUDs GULL.jpg|Gull in flight - Cloud's capture 04.04.2015 2015.04.04 RAVEN ANNA-MARIE.jpg|Common Raven - Anna-Marie's capture 04.04.2015 2015.04.04 19.30 KS MOOSE & GULL.JPG|Gull in flight with moose below in background 04.04.2015 Cam Op Scout on duty and Cam Op Buckeye Bob helping with lighting 2015.04.04 18.43 KS RAVEN IN FLIGHT LTC.JPG|Common Raven 04.04.2015 2015.04.03 KS GULLS ANNA-MARIE.jpg|Gulls posing for the cam - Anna-Marie's capture 04.03.2015 2015.04.07 KS SWANS BIRDYGIRLY.jpg|Swans - BirdyGirly's capture 04.07.2015 2015.04.07 KS SWANS LINGO13.JPG|Swans - Lingo13's capture 04.07.2015 2015.04.07 18.07 KS SWANS 02.JPG|Swans 04.07.2015 2015.04.08 07.23 KS EAGLE 01.JPG|Bald Eagle 04.08.2015 2015.04.08 KS EAGLE 02 MOCHA.JPG|Bald Eagle ~ Mocha's capture 04.08.2015 2015.04.08 KS EAGLE 03 CLOUD 01.jpg|Bald Eagle ~ Cloud's capture 04.08.2015 2015.04.08 KS GULLS JUERGEN 01.jpg|Gulls - Juergen's capture 04.08.2015 2015.04.08 KS GULLS JUERGEN 02.jpg|Gulls - Juergen's capture 04.08.2015 2015.04.08 KS GULLS JUERGEN 03.jpg|Gulls - Juergen's capture 04.08.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 01.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 02.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 03.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 04.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 05.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 06.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 07.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 08.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 09.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.12 09.48 RAVEN 10.JPG|Common Raven 04.12.2015 2015.04.18 KS GULLS MOCHA.JPG|Gulls in flight 04.18.2015 ~ Mocha's capture